Gerbera plant named ‘Garsophie Imp.’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Gerbera  plant named ‘Garsophie Imp.’, characterized by its compact, broadly upright and uniformly mounding plant habit; dense and bushy appearance; numerous inflorescences with red-colored ray florets arranged on upright and strong scapes; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Gerbera hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘GARSOPHIE IMP.’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Gerbera plant, botanically known as Gerbera hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Garsophie Imp.’.

The new Gerbera plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Kwakel, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact Gerbera plants with numerous inflorescences, good garden performance, frost tolerance and attractive inflorescence coloration.

The new Gerbera plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Gerbera hybrida ‘Garsophie’, not patented. The new Gerbera plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within a population of plants of ‘Garsophie’ in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Kwakel, The Netherlands in April, 2012.

Asexual reproduction of the new Gerbera plant by cuttings and by tissue culture in a controlled environment in De Kwakel, The Netherlands since September, 2012 has shown that the unique features of this new Gerbera plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Gerbera have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Garsophie Imp.’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Garsophie Imp.’ as a new and distinct Gerbera plant:

-   -   1. Compact, broadly upright and uniformly mounding plant habit.     -   2. Dense and bushy appearance.     -   3. Numerous inflorescences with red-colored ray florets.     -   4. Upright and strong scapes.     -   5. Good garden performance, relatively tolerant to rain, wind         and low temperatures.

Plants of the new Gerbera differ from plants of the parent, ‘Garsophie’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Gerbera are more vigorous than plants of         ‘Garsophie’.     -   2. Plants of the new Gerbera have larger leaves than plants of         ‘Garsophie’.     -   3. Plants of the new Gerbera have larger inflorescences than         plants of ‘Garsophie’.

Plants of the new Gerbera can be compared to plants of the Gerbera hybrida ‘Garrachel’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,443. Plants of the new Gerbera differ from plants of ‘Garrachel’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Gerbera have broader ray florets than         plants of ‘Garrachel’.     -   2. Plants of the new Gerbera and ‘Garrachel’ differ slightly in         ray floret color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Gerbera plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Gerbera plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Garsophie Imp.’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the autumn and early winter in 15-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in De Kwakel, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Gerbera production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 16° C. and night temperatures averaged 10° C. Rooted young tissue-cultured plants were five months old when the photograph and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Gerbera hybrida ‘Garsophie Imp.’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Gerbera     hybrida ‘Garsophie’, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By tissue culture.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About 2.5 to 3             weeks at temperatures of 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer and             winter.—About five to six weeks at temperatures of 20° C. to             26° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; white in color. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous perennials that are typically grown             as container or garden plants; compact and uniformly             mounding plant habit, broadly upright and roughly globular             in shape; numerous leaves arranged in basal rosettes and             outwardly arching; dense and bushy habit; inflorescences             held above the foliar plane on erect and strong basal             scapes; moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 29.3             cm.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of inflorescences.—About             42.3 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 50 cm. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 21.6 cm.         -   Width.—About 10.1 cm.         -   Shape.—Narrowly ovate; runcinate.         -   Apex.—Broadly acute to obtuse.         -   Base.—Acuminate.         -   Margin.—Coarsely and irregularly angulate; sinuses             divergent; undulate.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Moderately pubescent.         -   Texture, lower surface.—Densely tomentose.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Between 141A and             143A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 143A to             143B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Slightly darker             than between 139A and 147A; venation, close to 143A. Fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation,             close to 144A to 144B.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 10.1 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Texture, upper surface: Sparsely pubescent. Texture, lower             surface: Densely pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to             143A. Color, lower surface: Close to 144B; proximally,             tinged with close to 177B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Composite inflorescence form with             oblanceolate-shaped ray florets; solitary inflorescences             borne on upright and strong scapes above the foliar plane;             ray and disc florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about three months             after planting; under garden conditions in The Netherlands,             plants flower from spring to late summer; plants can be             flowered year-round in the greenhouse.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Depending on the temperature,             inflorescences last about two weeks on the plant;             inflorescences not persistent.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit with             about 14 open and developing inflorescences per plant at one             time.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 1.9 cm. Diameter: About             1.9 cm. Shape: Globular. Color: Close to 143A to 143B;             towards the apex, close to 31D.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 7.1 cm. Depth (height):             About 3 cm. Diameter of disc: About 2 cm. Receptacle height:             About 3 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 3 mm. Receptacle             color: Close to 145D.         -   Ray florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 50 per             inflorescence arranged in about three whorls. Orientation:             About 60° from vertical. Length: About 3.5 cm. Width: About             6 mm. Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous;             velvety. Texture, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous; slightly             velvety; slightly longitudinally ridged. Color: When             opening, upper surface: Close to 47A to 47B. When opening,             lower surface: Close to 20D and 48B. Fully opened, upper             surface: Between 45B and 46C; color becoming closer to             between 53A and 59B and towards the base, 45B, with             development. Fully opened, lower surface: Between 50C and             51B; color becoming closer to 60C and towards the base, 58C,             with development.         -   Disc florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 200 massed at             center of receptacle. Length: About 1.4 cm. Width: About             3 mm. Shape: Tubular. Apex: Acute; upper 20%, free. Base:             Lower 80%, fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, prior to opening: Apex:             Close to 150D. Mid-section: Close to 16C. Base: Close to             154D. Color, when opening and fully opened: Apex and             mid-section: Close to 8D. Base: Close to 154D.         -   Pappus.—Quantity of hairs per floret: About 50. Length:             About 6 mm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm. Texture: Soft. Color:             Close to 155A.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity and arrangement: About 60 per             inflorescence arranged in about three whorls. Length: About             1.4 cm. Width (at base): About 2 mm. Shape: Lanceolate.             Apex: Narrowly acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower             surface: Densely tomentose. Color, upper surface: Close to             143B. Color, lower surface: Close to 143A.         -   Scapes.—Length: About 36.1 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm;             distally, about 4 mm. Angle: About 10° from vertical.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Densely tomentose. Color: Close             to 144A to 144B; distally, close to 143C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium (present on disc florets             only): Quantity per floret: Five. Filament length: About             6 mm. Filament color: Close to 11D. Anther shape:             Lanceolate. Anther length: About 4 mm. Anther color: Close             to 13A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 15A.             Gynoecium (present only on ray florets): Quantity per             floret: One. Pistil length: About 1.2 cm. Stigma shape:             Cleft. Stigma color: Close to 8C. Style length: About             1.15 cm. Style color: Close to 70D. Ovary color: Close to             155A.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production has not been             observed on plants of the new Gerbera. -   Disease & pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common     to Gerbera plants has not been observed on plants of the new Gerbera     grown under commercial production conditions. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Gerbera have been observed to     have good garden performance and to be relatively tolerant to wind     and rain. Plants of the new Gerbera have been observed to tolerate     high temperatures about 35° C. and to be cold hardy to USDA     Hardiness Zone 6. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Gerbera plant named ‘Garsophie Imp.’ as illustrated and described. 